The New Zealand Herald

The fast, and the furious — hoons mash teen’s car

- Sarah Harris

A teenage girl’s first car she nicknamed “my little beast” has been destroyed after a hit-and-run crash early yesterday morning.

Police were called to West Coast Rd in Waiatarua, West Auckland, after Jacy Murray’s Toyota Corolla, which was parked outside her house, was hit around 1am.

The 18-year-old woke up to a big bang but didn’t realise it was her precious car that had been hit.

“It was only when Mum came up and said ‘ Yup that’s your car, it’s gone’,” Murray told the Herald. “I thought ‘Oh that is just my luck’.” The entire car was destroyed, the boot was busted and had popped up, the back corner smashed in and the bonnet crumpled from the force of the impact.

The vehicle had also hit the car in front of Murray’s.

“I loved that little car. It was cute. You have a bit of a connection with your first car. I called it ‘ my little beast’.

“I just think it’s a horrible thing to do. The guilt would eat me up if I crashed into someone and left their car there ruined.”

Now without a vehicle Murray will have to rely on mum and dad to drive her to her fulltime job working at Glassons in New Lynn.

Her mother, Joyce Laterveer, said Watch the video at nzherald.co.nz some men up the road had seen the car speeding away and believed it was a dark-coloured American muscle car. However she had found white paint on her daughter’s car. Either way, she believed the offenders’ car would be severely damaged.

She said neighbours had reported loud driving around the neighbour- hood which they believed could be related.

“It sounds like they’ve been hooning around. They were heard last night doing burnouts down Bush Rd.”

Laterveer felt sorry for her daughter who spent six months “flipping burgers” at Carl’s Jr to afford the $1500 car.

They were hoping to find the offenders because if they got their details they may be able to claim for the car under their insurance’s “innocent parties” clause. Murray only had third-party insurance so the clause was the only way they could claim.

“She’s gutted, absolutely gutted,” Laterveer told the Herald.

“It’s a lot of money at that age, and now she’s going to have to fork out more money for another car and it’s totally not her fault. She was home asleep and her car got written off.”

A police spokeswoma­n said they were making inquiries but if anyone had any informatio­n they are asked to call local police or Crimestopp­ers on 0800 555 111.

 ?? Picture / Brett Phibbs ?? Jacy Murray says her mum broke the bad news that her “little beast” had been ruined in a hit-and-run outside their West Coast Rd home.
Picture / Brett Phibbs Jacy Murray says her mum broke the bad news that her “little beast” had been ruined in a hit-and-run outside their West Coast Rd home.

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